The Curse of Immortality
by Nikki-Envy
Summary: Our favorite Count Dracula is back, but why and how can Van Helsing make sure he stays dead this time? (Was originally called My Immortal)
1. Is It Dead?

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the Van Helsing characters and other technical things related to the movie. If I did, I would not be wasting my time writing sloppy fanfiction; I would be out there making the sequel! :-) The only thing I do claim is Diana (and I'm sorry if you have an original character named Diana who is also an Immortal, but I assure you that I did not steal her from you.)

With that said, I would like to inform you that this story was originally called "My Immortal," because I fell in love with the song and its lyrics influenced the story line a wee bit...ok a lot. :-) But out of respect for Evanescence I have changed it. I have also altered the story a tad to make it longer, more interesting, and hopefully all around better than the original. But please let me know what you think. I am always open to good criticism and any ideas you might have for the story. In fact your ideas will make the story more enjoyable to read. I also need typo-demon slayers. Even though I use spell check and read over the story, some how a few always slip past me. :-)

Just and extra note: be on the look out for my new fic "The Princess Wars of the Cursed Ring" (co-written by my other two friends), a comedy/parody that combines the characters from the Princess Bride, Star Wars, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Lord of the Rings all together in hopes of undoing all the zaney mayhem that Miracle Max's newest invention, The Machine, has caused. :-)

Now on with the story!

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It wasn't exactly the safest job in the world, but hunting evil beings was much more appealing to Diana that being forced into a marriage with a man she despised and then oppressed with the job of taking care of a house. Diana had always believed that she was not made for the world, at least not in_this_ world where women were treated like doormats. True, the Order was kind to her, but she was never an equal. So, she settled for this dangerous lifestyle. At least it was exciting.

She waited silently in the cold shadows of the street with her gun ready in her hand, as rapid foot falls disrupted the silent night. A small cloaked figure tore around the corner, through the gently falling snow, his arms flailing about frantically. Diana chuckled inwardly. Poor Carl got stuck as the bait this time. A werewolf soon followed, snarling and splattering drool against frost-covered windows of houses. Stealthily concealed, she aimed at the creature's heart and fired. Another shot was heard from across the alley, and the wolf slumped to the ground. Diana stepped out of her hiding place and onto the moon lit road. The little frair joined her.

"Is it dead?" Frair Carl inquired in his usual squeaky voice, still trembling from the near death experience.

"If he's not he's going to have a bad headache when he waked up," Van Helsing joked as he left his hiding place, noticing the large wound Diana's bullet had made.

"He moved at the last second," Diana supplied in defense.

Van Helsing chuckled. "No wonder the Holy Order gives you all the research missions."

"Can we go now?" Carl begged.

"Oh, but why did the Order stick me with you? Because you were too dangerous and required more protection," Diana pointed out with a wicked grin as they started walking away.

"I fought Dracula, the greatest evil ever to walk the earth, and won!" Van Helsing proudly reminded her.

"You will do anything to complete a mission, even becoming a werwolf, and if that gypsy girl hadn't saved you, you would have killed Carl as well if he didn't vanquish you first," Diana retorted. "And as of late, you have been awfully close to suicidal in your attempts to vanquish your foes."

"At least it gets the job done," he muttered.

Diana sighed. "My point exactly. It doesn't matter what happens to you, as long as the people are safe. It almost seems like your looking for death."

Van Helsing scoffed. "By coming on these missions with me, you're not exactly preserving your life either."

Diana shrugged. "Someone has to keep you alive. No offense Carl."

"Oh, none taken. I don't know why the Order thought I was suitable for field work in the first place," the friar commented, climbing onto his horse.

"I think you're over-reacting," Van Helsing stated, mounting his horse.

"And I think we should get back to Rome," Diana said, getting onto her horse.

"At least we agree on something." And with that, the trio began their long journey back home.

This tiff was no different than the other feuds Diana and Van Helsing had countless times before. From the moment they met they had been like siblings to each other, which was probably why Cardinal Jeanette had them paired together. Diana enjoyed this friendship, for her real parents never really cared and her close friends were long lost. Van Helsing was one of teh very few stable things in her life, and with her past, Diana needed a strong anchor. Carl and Van Helsing were perfect for the job.

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**A/N:** Yes, 'tis short, but I think it's a lot better than the first chapter of My Immortal. Let me know what you think. 


	2. Carl and Coffee

Diana hung up her black coat as her entered her small home, located just outside of Vatican City. She stuffed her gloves into a coat pocket, left her boots by the door, and immediately began to work on a fire. Once that task was completed and the fireplace was roaring, she curled up in front of it with a large warm blanket and a book filled with short stories and poems by Edgar Allen Poe.

The only thing about being home was getting a good night sleep, but when she wasn't sleeping or working, her mind wondered into the past, a place Diana never wanted to visit ever again. Van Helsing was lucky. He had no memory of his past for it to haunt him. Diana was constantly reminded of hers. Every time she got dressed, woke up, caught a glimpse of her reflection, and even read a book the people she had once known would creep into her head.

Diana had finally began to doze off when a loud knock on the door flung her out of her dreams and back to reality. Clumsily, Diana stood up and sauntered to her door.

"Who is it?" she called.

"It's Carl!" came the muffled reply.

Diana unlocked the door and invited the friar in. "What's wrong?"

"The Order has another assignment for us," he informed enthusiastically.

Diana groaned. "Already? They really should recruit more people for these jobs."

"Well, get your coat and lets go," Carl urged. After putting the fire out, Diana slipped on her black boots, coat, and gloves and follwed Carl to the church.

"It's five in the morning. Why are you so chipper?" she questioned the friar, rubbing her eyes.

"I had coffee before I came here," he replied, grinning pleasantly.

Diana rolled her eyes. "I see..." They walked into the grand cathedral, and Cardinal Jeanette was there to meet them.

"Come. There is not much time," the Cardinal commanded. Diana and Carl followed him down the sercret passage into the underground laboratory, where they met up with Van Helsing. "There are rumors in Spain of a murderer who seduces and drinks the blood of his prey," Cardinal Jeanette informed.

"Vampires?" Diana guessed.

"That was our first suspition," the elderly man replied.

"But they were all destroyed with Dracula," Van Helsing contradicted.

"Which is why we cannot jump to conclusions. This murderer may only be a crazed mad man," Jeanette continued.

Van Helsing crossed his arms. "So what are we going to do about it?"

The Cardinal smiled. "There is going to be a large Christmas party in Madrid. With all the people who will be attending it will be easy for the murderer to hide among the crowd and kill another person, maybe more. You are to leave tonight, find the murderer, and bring him back here."

Van Helsing nodded. "What are we waiting for?"

"I love parties!" Carl exclaimed.

"Wait a minute. Party, as in, I have to wear a gown?" Diana interrupted.

"Yes," Cardinal Jeanette anwered, with a smirk that said, "Sucks to be you," and walked away.

"Oooh. Diana gets to wear a fancy dress," Van Helsing taunted.

"Shut up," she muttered, pushing past him. "Get a move on. We've got people to save."

"Yes, madam," Van Helsing replied, following Diana, with Carl on his heels.


	3. The Ball

**Disclaimer:** I still do not own any of the Van Helsing characters and other technical things related to the movie.

* * *

Carl and Diana walked into the brilliantly lit and extravagantly decorated ball room. Carl wore a black tuxedo complete with a top hat (he never looked so handsome), while Diana was stuck with a frilly gown with a rather low-cut collar that accented her bosom a little too much for her comfort. A waltz ended as they entered, and Diana involuntarily migrated towards the nearest source of food and refreshment. 

Slightly confused and concerned, Carl inquired, "What are you doing?"

"Do you know _why_ I ran away from home?" she questioned, nibbling nervously on a slice of ham. When Carl didn't answer, Diana continued, "I hated the aristocratic lifestyle. The joy of parties and celebrations was tainted by at least one person, who was only there to ingratiate himself with members of the higher class in order to steal from their fortunes. It was always about money and never enjoying life."

"So you became a monster hunter? How is _that_ enjoying life?" Carl pressed.

"I was a healer before I came here, and it was only recently that the cardinal sent me to the field," she snapped back.

"I was only fooling," the friar muttered.

Diana sighed. "I know.'

"How did you learn to fight?" he continued, rather intrigued.

"My friends in Africa. It's a harsh continent; you have to know how to defend yourself against the elements," Diana replied, now fiddling with the cream lace that trimmed the sleeves of her dark maroon dress. If the Order wanted her to go to a party, they could have given her a nicer dress instead of one that their grandmother might have worn.

Just then, a sudden strange movement from out of the corner of Diana's eye caught her attention. "Excuse me, Carl. I need to go freshen up."

"But we just arrived-"

"Just go find Van Helsing," she interrupted, and then walked away.

Just as Diana turned around she noticed a dark figure exit through one of the back ball room doors, and followed it. If it was, indeed, the mysterious killer, Diana found it to be impractical for him to wear black. With the various colors of the party, the stranger looked rather egregious and would surely be suspected.

The door opened up into a small dark hallway, and though fear clouded her heart, it was wild curiosity that controlled her mind, pushing her further down the hallway until she was swallowed up in darkness. A crisp draft swept through the hall, chilling Diana's pale skin and fueling her fear. She felt something brush against her back, causing her to instinctively spin around as a strand of ebony hair fell out of the bun that Carl (and a few others) strained to make perfect.

"Who's there?" she asked the darkness of the room she had now entered.

There was no reply and it was to dark to see proof of anyone in the room.

Having finally satisfied her curiosity, Diana quickly but cautiously made her way back to the door. She was relieved to hear the sound of the orchestra from the other side of the door and the handle. She opened the door and light showered her as she re-entered. But and unsettling feeling washed over her as a deep echoing whisper from the dark hallway uttered, "Diana."

"Diana!" Van Helsing called, striding up to her. "Where did you go? Carl told me you ran off."

"Don't be so protective. I was merely inspecting for any suspicious activity. Speaking of which, have you discovered anything?" Diana inquired.

"No. Not anything we don't already know, at least. Nobody knows anything about what he looks like, what his name is, where to find him, where he is from. The trail is cold," he informed her.

"Do you think we should leave?" Diana wondered, hopefully.

"No, but as the party comes to a close, you can go out front to monitor the guests leaving, Carl will remain inside, and I'll go back to my post behind the palace," he replied.

"Oh, Mr. Van Helsing, you are too kind," she said, her words drenched with sarcasm.

He smiled and shrugged. "You know me all too well."

Diana childishly stuck her tongue out at the monster slayer and turned to go join Carl. At least he could _try _to keep her mind off her past life.

"Anything new?" the friar asked.

Diana shook her head. "Nothing," she replied dismally. A moment of unsure silence passed between them; then Diana finally spoke again, "Tell me about Count Dracula."

Carl looked slightly upward at his partner. "But you've heard about him dozens of times."

"Tell me about his appearance. If it _is _Dracula we're against, then I need to know what he looks like," she pressed.

"Oh, very well," he sighed. "Dracula was a rather fearsome creature. He had eyes that burned red with the very fires of hell and his sickly pale skin and black hair reflected the cold dark emptiness of his damned heart. This dangerous beast, with ghastly wings that were larger than anything man has ever seen and claws that could tear a man clean in half with one fell stroke, was forced to drink the blood of humans to sustain his wretched form of life, and his three equally monstrous wives assisted him on these strange hunts." Carl paused, noticing the expression of disinterest written all over Diana's face. "What?"

"You've had a long time to practice this, haven't you? Your story-telling skills have certainly improved, but I don't want to know about his eating habits or love life. I want to know what he looks like," she reiterated.

"I just told you what he looked like."

"What you described was a monster that was more fairy-tale than it was fact," Diana criticized.

"Look, I've told you what I know. If you don't believe me, then the only thing I can do is ask you to dance," Carl explained.

Diana stared at him in disbelief. "What?"

"We're at a party, aren't we? We might as well dance," he offered.

Diana scoffed. "You expect me to know how to dance?"

"You didn't run away from home till you were sixteen. Sixteen years is long enough to learn how to dance. You're bound to remember something," he calculated.

"Oh, fine," she conceded, taking Carl's hand as he led her to the dance floor.

The twirled around the room along with the other couples (though they were probably the only couple in which the woman was slightly taller that the man). Diana never really saw the point in dancing. Some people saw it as a way to express themselves, but how would one do so when the dance seemed so uniformed? Everyone was always dancing the same way. How could there be expression through sameness?

Luckily for Diana, the minutes flew by and the guests began to make their way home, so she made her way to the front, where she could keep an eye on the attendants. It was rather dull, waiting out in the cold for something to happen, while party-goers continued their gossip and eventually said their good-byes. They soon all left, and Van Helsing and Carl joined her.

"You look tired," Van Helsing commented. "Carl, you and Diana can go back to the inn and get some rest. I'm going to stay her a bit longer."

"All right, but don't stay up too late. You need your sleep as well," Carl warned, helping a drowsy Diana down the steps to an awaiting carriage.

"Don't worry. I won't," he assured them. "Good night."

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**A/N: **Well, it was longer, but had no action. I'm sorry. The next one will actually have some good action in it. I appreciate the review (sniffles at the fact that I didn't get more...you can tell me it sucks, i don't mind! :-) ). If I were to tell u who that bad guy was it would give away everything! (well not everything, but I would lose another chance to surprise my audience...i luv surprising my audience!)

Feel free to IM me. My AIM screen name is BritNicPurple03


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